Other school-district consolidation bills are working their way through the House and Senate, and someone could try to put Holmes County and Durant into one of those.

Democratic Rep. Bryant Clark's House district includes part of Holmes County, and he argued Thursday and Friday against House Bill 834. He said local residents, not legislators in Jackson, should decide whether to combine the two school districts.

The bill's sponsor, Republican Rep. Toby Barker of Hattiesburg, said Mississippi has too many school districts and spends too much on administrators.